Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I very much value the role that family resource centres play in providing support to vulnerable children and families. Tusla provides a significant level of financial support to family resource centres across the country to assist them in their work with vulnerable children and families. Tusla provides funding to some 109 communities through the family and community services resource centre programme. This typically covers the employment of two to three members of staff and some overhead costs. In 2016, Tusla provided €13.5 million in core funding under the programme. In addition, Tusla provided funding of €595,000 to family resource centres for counselling services under the agency's counselling grants scheme. In December 2016, in recognition of the valuable work that the family resource centres do, Tusla provided additional once-off funding of €1.422 million to centres. This additional funding, which was in the form of minor capital assistance, allowed for the upgrade of equipment and other remedial works at centres.

Family resource centres are supported by two regional support agencies, which are funded by Tusla under the family and community services resource centre programme. These support agencies play a key role in promoting good practice providing technical support, advice and training to family resource centres.

Tusla also provides funding under the programme to the family resource centre national forum. The forum operates as a network for all family resource centres. It provides networking and training opportunities as well as information and support. Tusla plans to build on the strengths of the programme in the years ahead as it continues to deliver on its mandate for community-based early intervention, prevention and family support. Tusla is currently finalising details of the funding to be allocated to family resource centres in 2017 and will be confirming funding levels for individual centres shortly.

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